Lead Firmware Engineer

Neurophos•Austin, TX

12d•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a talented Firmware Engineer to join our engineering team and spearhead our embedded software development. This role focuses on low-level firmware development for our novel LLM accelerator architecture. You will develop the firmware layer that directly controls our custom hybrid optical-electronic compute hardware, ensuring reliable operation and optimal performance.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or related field
10+ years of industry experience
5+ years of professional experience leading efforts for firmware engineering, embedded systems, or low-level systems programming
Expert-level proficiency in embedded C++ (essential), Python for tooling and automation
Strong experience with embedded systems programming and hardware interfaces
Deep understanding of computer architecture, memory hierarchies, and parallel computing concepts
Experience with hardware communication protocols and register-level programming.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in CS/EE (or related) with expertise in high-performance, low-latency system design, including power and thermal optimization.
Deep knowledge of embedded processor architectures (ARM, RISC-V), high-speed interfaces (AXI, PCIe, AMBA), and the ability to read RTL for HW/SW co-design.
Experience building adaptive, multi-node, and multi-processor systems using bare metal, RTOS (Zephyr, FreeRTOS), and shared memory IPC.
Familiarity with LLM architectures and hands-on experience programming AI/ML accelerators (GPUs, TPUs, FPGAs).
Proficiency in virtual platforms/simulators, cross-compiler toolchains, Docker, and modern agentic AI coding workflows.
Proven ability to manage OTA update systems and debug complex parallel/asynchronous programs.

Responsibilities

Design and implement toolchains for our custom LLM accelerator architecture
Develop optimization strategies that bridge software algorithms to hardware implementations
Design and implement custom compiler components, including IR dialects, graph transformations, and lowering passes
Optimize computational graphs and memory access patterns for our hardware architecture
Integrate with existing ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX, Triton).
Build and maintain test infrastructure to ensure compiler correctness and performance

Benefits

A pivotal role in an innovative startup redefining the future of AI hardware.
A collaborative and intellectually stimulating work environment.
Competitive compensation package including equity participation.
Comprehensive benefits, including health, dental, and vision insurance.
Opportunities for career growth and future team leadership.
Access to cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities.
Opportunity to publish research and contribute to the field of efficient AI inference.
100% coverage of base health plan premiums for you and your dependents, plus HSA contributions.
Unlimited PTO. No rigid vacation banks, just a focus on delivery.
401(k) matching and stock option opportunities to ensure our success is your success.
Full suite of voluntary benefits, including Dental, Vision, Life, Hospital, Critical Illness, and Accident insurance.
Personalized Benefits. Choose the plans that fit your life and take the cash back for those that don’t.